Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Tim Berni

The Columbus Blue Jackets have added another prospect to the cupboard, signing Swiss defenseman Tim Berni to a three-year entry-level contract. Berni recently finished his second full season with Zurich in the NLA and has attended Blue Jackets’ development camp in the past.

Those fans who watched the World Juniors closely the last few years will remember seeing Berni, as he competed in three-straight tournaments for Switzerland between 2018 and 2020. The undersized by agile defenseman captained the squad at the most recent event and was named a top-3 player on the team.

Selected 159th overall in 2018, there was nowhere to go but up for Berni in terms of prospect status, and he has done just that. Earning an entry-level deal is just the first step on what should be an interesting professional journey in North America. The 20-year old left-handed defenseman recorded just 11 points in 45 games for Zurich this season but has shown solid progress on the defensive side of the puck.